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With the recent DCM scares, are you concerned that your dog's raw food diet may be deficient in taurine?  This is why I'm not worried.

Did you catch Rodney Habib's Facebook Live today? It started out talking about grain-free kibble, so I was listening, but I was listening while working.

And then I heard “raw feeding”, and my ears perked up. He stated that if we're storing our raw for more than three months, we're going to see a decline in taurine, which has the potential of leading to heart issues in our beloved pets.  Before we start freaking out and tossing everything from the freezer, I think it's important to take a step back and consider what this means for our dogs.

Does DIY Raw have a Taurine Deficiency?

I buy raw in bulk, and I store my raw for up to a year. Many raw feeders, to save money, are sourcing much of their raw from people who plan to do a freezer dump (tossing old meat from their freezer).

But…my dog's raw diet is balanced!

Or is it?

Honestly, I don't think any diet is 100% balanced. The only guides used to determine what our dogs need nutritionally are based on kibble diets, not fresh food. I think we can get close, but we're all doing our best.

Benefits of Taurine for Dogs

Although dogs do create taurine in their system, some breeds are predisposed to taurine deficiencies and dogs with heart conditions may need additional support as well. Taurine is important for dogs because it…

  • Helps to build and strengthen the heart muscle
  • Prevents muscle degeneration
  • Prevents arrhythmias (improper beating of the heart)
  • Supports eye/vision health

Signs of a Taurine Deficiency in Dogs

The following are signs of taurine deficiency in dogs…

  • Weakness and fatigue
  • Fainting or collapsing
  • Excessive panting without exercise or extreme heat
  • Pain in the abdominal area
  • Pain when urinating; blood in the urine
  • Blindness

One of our dogs experiences excessive panting without exercise or extreme heat. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, he's a hot dog. I feed him cooling proteins (rabbit, pork, duck), but what if he needs more taurine? After learning about these symptoms, I began adding more heart (chicken, duck, pork, and beef) to his diet.

Bi-annual checkups are important as well and his veterinarians haven't picked up any issues with his heart.

Foods Rich in Taurine

Other foods that I'm adding to my dogs' diet include:

You can also find taurine in seaweed, sunflower seeds, and spirulina – however, the amounts are minimal compared to animal protein sources.   

That being said, the above foods may not be enough if your dog has a taurine deficiency and supplementation may be necessary. A great product is Taurine Boost by Herbsmith.

Is a Taurine Supplement Necessary?

Before buying a supplement for your dog, check in with your veterinarian to confirm that it's necessary. Taurine isn't more important than other nutrients and all nutrients work together to keep our dogs healthy. If we begin to over-supplement in areas, we do more harm than good.

Despite all of the news about grain-free diets and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), there has been no evidence that feeding grain-free (and this includes raw) will lead to DCM.

More Sources for Canine Nutrition

If you want to delve deeper into your dog's diet and make sure that s/he is getting all of the nutrients necessary to live a healthy life, I highly recommend investing in the following materials:

If you think your dog may have a taurine deficiency or a heart problem, please seek the advice of your veterinarian.

With the recent DCM scares, are you concerned that your dog's raw food diet may be deficient in taurine?  This is why I'm not worried.

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